






Study with the several resources on Docsity
Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan
Prepare for your exams
Study with the several resources on Docsity
Earn points to download
Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan
Community
Ask the community for help and clear up your study doubts
Discover the best universities in your country according to Docsity users
Free resources
Download our free guides on studying techniques, anxiety management strategies, and thesis advice from Docsity tutors
An in-depth exploration of nuclear fission and fusion, two significant processes in nuclear physics. Nuclear fission is a nuclear reaction or radioactive decay process in which the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller parts, often producing free neutrons and gamma rays. Nuclear fusion, on the other hand, is a reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei are combined to form one or more different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles, releasing energy. the fundamentals of these processes, their differences, and the challenges in harnessing their energy.
What you will learn
Typology: Study notes
1 / 12
This page cannot be seen from the preview
Don't miss anything!
(^) Thus a high mass number tries to split itself in achieving this mass number and releasing a high amount of energy. Fig. Average Binding Energy per Nucleus
Fig. Nuclear Chain Fission Reaction
(^) Those that preserve the number of protons and neutrons. (most important for practical energy production) D + T → He + n (^) Those that involve a conversion between protons and neutrons. (Crucial to the initiation of star burning) H + H → D + β
I. The rate of reactions between deuterium and tritium is much higher than that between protons II. The net energy release from the D-T reaction is 40 times greater than that from the H-H reaction.
Nuclear Fission Nuclear fusion Definition Fission is the splitting of a large atom into two or more smaller ones. Fusion is the fusing of two or more lighter atoms into a larger one. Natural occurrence of the process Fission reaction does not normally occur in nature. Fusion occurs in stars, such as the sun. By-products of the reaction Fission produces many highly radioactive particles. Few radioactive particles are produced by fusion reaction, but if a fission "trigger" is used, radioactive particles will result from that. Conditions Critical mass of the substance and high-speed neutrons are required. High density, high temperature environment is required. Energy Requirement Takes little energy to split two atoms in a fission reaction. Extremely high energy is required to bring two or more protons close enough that nuclear forces overcome their electrostatic repulsion. Energy Released The energy released by fission is a million times greater than that released in chemical reactions, but lower than the energy released by nuclear fusion. The energy released by fusion is three to four times greater than the energy released by fission. Nuclear weapon One class of nuclear weapon is a fission bomb, also known as an atomic bomb or atom bomb. One class of nuclear weapon is the hydrogen bomb, which uses a fission reaction to "trigger" a fusion reaction. Energy production Fission is used in nuclear power plants. Fusion is an experimental technology for producing power. Fuel Uranium is the primary fuel used in power plants. Hydrogen isotopes (Deuterium and Tritium) are the primary fuel used in experimental fusion power plants.
(^) Ellis P. Steinberg (July 06, 2018) , Nuclear fission. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/nuclear-fission/ (^) Nuclear power. Retrieved from https://www.nuclear-power.net/nuclear-power/fission/ (^) Nuclear Fission. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fission/ (^) Nuclear Fusion. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion/ (^) Robert W. Conn (July 06, 2018) , Nuclear fusion. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/nuclear-fusion/ (^) Uunderstanding of Nuclear Fusion. Retrieved from http://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/understandingfusion/ (^) A Fusion Reactor. Retrieved from https://www.ems.psu.edu/~radovic/Chapter14.pdf/ (^) Comparison Between Nuclear Fission And Fusion. Retrieved from https://www.diffen.com/difference/Nuclear_Fission_vs_Nuclear_Fusion/